Alan J W Thompson

The Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering is an annual event held on the grounds of the Fort Nottingham in Fort Nottingham, KwaZulu Natal encompassing festival events, exhibitors, food stalls, highland dancing and highland athletic games typically found at a Scottish Gathering such as the Braemar Games will generate interest and enthusiasm in the Midlands (and beyond) communities of Scottish ancestry and the general public who enjoy the unique activities found at Highland Gatherings and in so doing create an event that will be held at the Fort annually.

DATE OF THE FESTIVAL:

TIMES:

LOCATION:

Saturday, 10 TH SEPTEMBER 2022

Set-up – Friday 9 th September 2022 - 10h00 to 16h00

Event – 10 th September 2022 - 09h00 to 18h00

The Fort Nottingham fields, and surrounding village nestles in the green wooded hills of the Midlands, 8 kilometres beyond Nottingham Road village and situated in the valley which with some imagination, could be mistaken for being in the Scottish Highlands.

Nottingham village is close to the N3 highway (14 km) and a short drive from Pietermaritzburg (30 minutes) and Durban (90 minutes) and is located central to the famous Midlands Meander Arts and Crafts route and the largest residential concentration in the Midlands of working and retired residents.

Many families in the region and in the target market can claim Scottish or related descent and hence will be attracted to such an event which also offers great value and entertainment.

The surrounding village fields offer extensive safe parking for over 1000 motor vehicles and well signposted direction will guide the day visitor to the village. The surrounding Midlands area has over 200 bed and breakfast establishments and hotels for visitors to the region coming from far afield. The museum is a regular place of interest on the Meander route.

 Down the road from the fort, which obviously made some dent in the raids as further settlers headed out this way (particularly the Scots, hence the propensity for town names like Balgowan, Glencoe and Dundee, a railway station was built at the crossing of the road to Fort Nottingham. It was obscurely called Karkloof Station (although nowhere near Karkloof) until it became known as Nottingham Road Station, and later simply Nottingham Road.